Uncoupling mechanism



' l. H. MlLLlKEN AND w.1 REGAN;

UNCOUPLING MECHANISM." APPLICATION HLED OCT-'6, 1921.

I 1,417,547. Patented May 30,1922.

3 vweutoz IsAAc H. MILLIKEN, or ASPINWALL, PENNsYnvANIA, AND WILLIAM J.REGAN, o PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR-S To THE I. MCCONWAY &TORLEY COM.-

PANY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A'CORIPORATEON' OFJPENNSYLVANIA. I

UNco'UPLINe MEcz-IANIsM.

Application filed October 6, 192 1. 7 Serial No. 505,694,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, IsAA'o' H. MILLIKEN and WILLIAM J. REGAN, citizensof the United States, residing, respectively, at Aspinwall, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, and Pittsbur h, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Tennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Uncoupling Mechanism; and we do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains-to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to uncoupling mechanism for causing the lock of acar coupler to.

perform an unlocking movement. While the'invention is especiallydesigned to provide means well adapted for application to car couplersof the Master Car Builders standard D-type employing a bottom operatedlock, mechanism embodying the invention may be also used with othertypes of couplers as well. y

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, compactand efllciently and reliably operating uncoupling mechanism that may beeasily assembled or disassembled and in which the parts mutuallyinterlock to prevent their accidental disassociation in service. I y

The principal feature of the. invention,

generally stated, consists in "actuating the lock of a car coupler by,means of a rotatable member which is supported rearwardly of said lockby-means adapted to swing lengthwise of the coupler and to move with thelatter lengthwise of the car.

'A- further feature of the invention consists in causing the lock ofacar coupler to perform an unlocking movement by means of a rotatablemember which is swingingly supported at its center of rotation by meansmovable with the coupler lengthwise of the car and adapted to swing insaid lengthwise direction.

Another feature of the invention resides in actuating the'lock of a carcoupler by means of a rotatable member which is swingingly supportedrearwardly of the look by a member interlockingly connected to saidrotatable member and said coupler in a manner permitting it to swinglengthwise of the latter. I

shown) As will hereinafter appear, there are other features of inventioninvolving particular combinations of parts and special features ofconstruction.

Specification of Lettcrslatent. Patented Mtity 30,1922.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention, thescope whereof is pointed out in the claims,'

Figure l is aview, partly inside eleva: tion and partly inverticalsection, of an uncoupling mechanism constructed in acco-rd-'ance with the invention, the. coupler shown being the well known MasterCar Builders standard D-type. I I

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view on the) line 22, Fig. 1, portions ofthe uncoupling levers and of the couplertcarrier iron and coupler beingbroken away.

Figure 3 is line 3-3, Fig. 1, portions of the uncoupling levers beingbroken away. p 7

The car coupler 1 is provided with a lock 2 constructed andoperatinglike the locksemplo-yed in couplers of this type. Movablyadetail sectionalview on the i connected to the lowerend of the lock 2and,

projecting downwardly through the lower wall of the coupler head .is'alink 3 which is pivotally attached at its lower end to a lock lift lever4 that is itself pivotally mounted.

upon the under side o-fz'the coupler. link 3 and its'pivoted lock liftlever 4: preferably conform in structure and mode of operation to thecorresponding devices of the standard D-type'coupler. If; thecoupler isdesigned to have a wide range of'lateral swinging movement it maybeformed near the rear end of its shank with pivot pin opening 5 forreceiving a tail pin. (not whereby the coupler may be pivotallyconnected to the draft gear ofthe car.

Movably connected to the lock lift jlever 4; is a vertically rotatablemember 6 which is swingingly supported 'rearwardlyof the coupler lock '2byv a member? adapted ,to swing lengthwise of the car, thelattermem herbeing connected tothe coupler 1 so as to be movable therewith in saidlengthwise direction. 7 is preferably formed at its lower end with ahook 8 for cooperating with anleye 9 With which the vertically rotatablemember The which cooperates with an eye 11 that is rig idly secured tothe coupler l, as for example when the parts are assembled, the end ofsaid hook being for this purpose provided with a portion 12 which isadapted to engage the eye 11 and thus prevent .the detachment of theswinging member 7 when the parts are in normal operative relation- As ameans for interlockingly connecting the vertically--rotatable-member '6to the pivoted'lock lift lever 4, the member 6 is preferably provided atits forward end with a hook 13 adapted to enter the eye or opening 14with Which the member 4 is customarily formed. At its rear end below theeye 9 the rotatable member 6 maybe provided with a centrally disposedrecess 15 which opens laterally on opposite sides so as to receive theupwardly extending inner ends 16 of rotatable uncoupling levers 17 bywhich the member 6 is preferably actuated to cause it to perform anunlocking movement. These uncoupling levers extend toward the sides ofthe car and may be and preferably are of the well known form illustratedin the I. H. Milliken Patent No.

1,184,116, dated May 23, 1916. The recess 15 may, as shown, be somewhatwider at the bottom than'at the top so as to permit either of theuncoupling levers 17 to be operated independently of the other.

' If desired the coupler 1, instead of being supported directly by thecoupler carrier iron 18, mayslidably bear upon acoupler saddle 19 whichis mounted upon the carrier iron so as to move transversely of the carwhen the coupler swings laterally.

Inassembling the mechanism the hook 10 of the swingingly supportedmember 7 is hooked through the eye 11 carried by the coupler. The hook123 of the rotatable memher 6 is then hooked through the opening 14 inthe pivoted lever 4, which latter is temporarily disconnected. from thecoupler, and the member 6 is hung upon the hook 9 of the swingingsupport. The upwardly extending inner ends 16 of the uncoupling levers17 are then inserted in the recess 15 of the member 6 and theirouter'ends are supportingly engaged with brackets at the sides of thecar in the usual manner. WVhen in assembled relation the parts of themech anism are interlocked so that their ac-cie dental disassociation isprevented.

When either of the uncoupling levers is rotated by the trainman itsupstanding por tion 16 engages the rear end of the member 6 and causesthe latter to perform an unlocking rotation. During this unlockingmovement the member 6 rotates or pivots upon the hook 8 at the lower endof the swinging support 7 while the latter swings lengthwise of the caras may be necessary to permit the forward end of the member 6 to conformto the path of travel of the eye 14 of the pivoted lock lift lever 4.

We claim 1. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a carcoupler and its lock, of

member operatively connected to said lock and extending rearwardlytherefrom, means for actuating said rotatablemember, and swinging meansfor pivotally supporting said rotatable member rearwardly of said lock,said swinging means being movable with said coupler lengthwise of thecar and being adapted to swing in said lengthwise direction. I

3. In an uncoupling mechanism,the combination with a car coupler and thelock thereof, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, saidmeans involving a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock,means for actuating said rotatable member, and means for movably con:necting said rotatable member to said cou pler rearwardly of said lock,said last named means having a hook and eye connection with said couplerand with said rotatable member and being movable lengthwise of the carwith said coupler. I

4. In an uncouplingmechanism, the combination with a car coupler and itslock,

of means for moving said lock tounlocked position, said means involvinga rotatable member operatively connected to said lock and extendingrearwardly therefrom, means for actuating said rotatable member, and

means adapted to swing lengthwise of said coupler for swinginglysupporting said Totatable member rearwardly of said lock, said swingingmeans being movable with, said coupler lengthwise of the car.

5. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car'couplerand'its lock, of

means for moving said lockto unlocked position, said means involving arotatable member operatively connected to-said lock and extendingrearwardly' therefrom, means for actuating said rotatable member, andmeans supported by said 'coupler'for swingingly' supporting saidrotatable. member rearwardly of said lock, said lastnamed means beingmovable with said coupler bination with a car coupler and its lock, of

means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving amember pivotally connected to said coupler, a l1nk operativelyconnecting said pivoted member to said lock, a vertically rotatablemember movably connected to said pivoted member and extending rearwardlyof said lock, an uncoupling lever engaging .and adapted to actuate saidrotatable member, and means supported by and adapted to swing lengthwiseof said coupler for supporting said rotatable member rearwardly of saidlock.

7 In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a .car coupler andits lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock, meansfor actuating said rotatable member, and means movably connected to saidrotatable member at the center of rotation of the latter for swinginglysupporting said rotatable member, said last named means being supportedby and adapted to swing lengthwise of said coupler.

8. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler andits lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a vertically rotatable member operatively connected to saidlock and having a recess adapted to receive an uncoupling lever andprovided at its center of rotation with an eye adapted to receive a hookmember, an uncoupling lever extending into said recess and adapted toactuate said rotatable member, and a hook member cooperating with saideye and supported by and adapted to swing lengthwise of said coupler forswingingly' supporting said rotatable member.

9. In an uncoupling mechanism, the com-' bination with a car coupler andits lock, of means for moving said look to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock andhaving a recess adapted to receive an uncoupling lever and provided atits center of rotation with an eye adapted to receive a hook member,an'uncoupling lever extending into said recess and adapted toactuatesaid rotatable member, and a hook member cooperating with said eye forswingingly supporting said rotatable member,said hook member beingadapted to swing lengthwise of the car. a

10. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a carcoupler andits lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said meansinvolving a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock, meansfor actuating said rotatable member, and means supported by and adaptedto, swinglengthwise of said coupler for sup,- porting said rotatablemember, said last named means and said coupler being interlockinglyconnected.

11. In an uncoupling mechanism,jthe combination with a car coupler andits lock, of

means .formoving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving amember pivoted to said coupler, a link operatively interposed betweensaid pivoted member-and said coupler, a. rotatable member movably Iconnected to said pivoted member and having a recess adapted to receivean uncou-.

plinglever and-provided at its center of ro-' tation with an eye adaptedto receive a hook ber adapted to support said rotatable memberrearwardly of said lock, said hook member being connected to saidrotatable member through said eye and being movably attached to saidcoupler through a hook and eye connection.

-In test1mony whereof we aflix our signatures.

ISAAC H. MILLIKEN. WILLIAM J. REG-AN.

